It seems to me that this really is a missed opportunity to convert millions of corporate users to Linux.

I work for a large utility company that used to run Windows XP as its main desktop operating system. We have migrated to Windows 7 and are currently writing a new interface to interact with SAP for customer accounts and billing.... we aren't using professional programmers I understand just people with some programming skills within the organisation ( with the predictable variable results). I have no idea of the cost of the 10,000 licenses for all the MS products we use but if we are investing time (and resources) in building a new interface to interact with SAP wouldn't it have made some sense to change over to a non propitiatory software solution?

Interesting thought. From your references it does not appear that anyone looked a real alternatives. I find that many management types demand (from knowing nothing else) Outlook and MS Office.

MS Office has some things that work well. Esp if large spreadsheets andaccess databases are involved.

There is more to the cost than the license, retraining, new support systemsand equipment add up quickly.

It takes time to study a problem for the appropriate solution. There aretoo many people that do not or can not look at the best solution for the problem. Most also are expected to make something work vs the bestsolution.

After seeing alot of botched upgrades from OS or Vendor lockin, I am amazed that the systems work at all.

I think now is a good time for VL 7.1 final. Folks are more likely to change from XP to 7.1 than from XP to 7.0. And, though its likely heresy, I think we need to look at the "linux-is-free" thing as both an advantage and a liability. I had someone tell me the other day that gnucash couldn't be all that great because "you get what you pay for." If Vector had an option allowing users, when downloading, to sign up for paid support from some of the folks on this list and if that support was rapid and effective, I think more might make the switch. I think this particularly true if there were various classes of support, with a fee associated with each class. For example, there could be support for VL with an annual fee, and support for Lyx, support for etm(tk), support for kmail, etc (as to all the main vector programs) on a per call or per incident basis. Vector could set it up its web page ahead of time by allowing a cash deposit or providing use of a credit card. This would be a lot of work and might not pan out, but someone(s) with the appropriate skills and sufficient time might do pretty well and, if not, he would be no worse off than he would be if the effort wasn't made.

I suppose. Thanks. That I am completely ignorant on a subject has never, in and of itself, kept me from spouting off. VL's paid support option seems like a great service. I just signed up for it. Though I don't have any current issues, I would like to have it handy in case once comes up. Members of my staff would perhaps be in need more than I. I can see where keeping track of the matter would be a pain.

My gut tells me that Vector might just "sell" one version of vl 7.1 for $100, which is identical to the free version except it comes with a year's support on Vector (only) issues (not, say, lyx or gnumeric issues). There are quite a few middle aged men here in reno who have been coming to our cigar club (a nerd club which gives away linux computers to kids) not for the purpose of helping with our project, but rather with the hope that one of us will convert their xp machine to linux.

As with many others, I see some kind of an opportunity here but don't really know how Vector can exploit it. I know that VL puts out a great product and I know that the nerds i our cigar lions club do not have the time to hold hands with these fellows who are trying to convert to linux.

My niece has been working in a computer repair shop for a few weeks, they have had loads of (mainly elderly) customers coming in asking about new computers because "XP will stop working" when support is withdrawn. The shop has advised them that it will not stop working just that they should be careful what they look at on the internet and make sure their anti spyware and anti virus software is up to date. No one is looking to move away from Microsoft as they all seem to think that is the only Operating System on the market, indeed my niece questioned some who were under the impression that the computer was invented by "Windows".....

My own take is that its massively wasteful of large companies to rely on Microsoft, my own utility company uses off shore system support at around £14 per call to fix problems, which I tend to report 3 - 4 times a week to them, and I am fairly average. Surely it must be worth their while to employ people directly to maintain their own software on Open Source machines? I guess that I haven't factored in the extent of industrial inertia.

Companies rarely look at the long term savings when deciding what to use. The bean counters look at the initial cost and rarely look further than that unless there are associated costs to stand up the solution.

For example, back in my military days, our entire network was Netware. Awesome server OS and the associated apps (like GroupWise) were extremely secure. Granted, the OS was pricier than NT back in those days, and the training needed to maintain the network wasn't cheap, either. However, cost of ownership was a third of what an NT network would be.

Some bean counter saw the initial costs and got the powers that be to agree to a total swap out of the network to NT because NT was a fraction of the cost of Netware. So, even after we proved that the total cost of ownership would be triple over what we were currently using, we were forced to make the change. And then they couldn't figure out when the manpower and equipment requests started rolling in why it was so much more expensive than before.